BENJAMIN MENDELSOHN'S STUDIES IN THE LATE 1930'S AND EARLY 1940'S, NOTABLY A STUDY ON RAPE, CULMINATED IN THE FOLLOWING VICTIM TYPOLOGY: THE COMPLETELY INNOCENT VICTIM (TYPICALLY CHILDREN OR THOSE WHO ARE ATTACKED WHILE UNCONSCIOUS); THE VICTIM WITH MINOR GUILT (OFTEN VICTIMIZED BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE); THE VOLUNTARY VICTIM, WHOSE GUILT IS EQUAL TO THAT OF THE OFFENDER (E.G., A SUICIDE PACT); THE VICTIM WHO IS MORE GUILTY THAN THE OFFENDER (ONE WHO PROVOKES OR INDUCES ANOTHER TO COMMIT CRIME); THE VICTIM WHO ALONE IS GUILTY (THE ATTACKER WHO IS KILLED IN SELF-DEFENSE); AND THE IMAGINARY VICTIM, WHO, HAVING SUFFERED NOTHING, FALSELY ACCUSES SOMEONE. ONLY TWO OF THE CATEGORIES CONCERN VICTIMS WHOSE GUILT IS LESS THAN THAT OF THE PERPETRATOR. A REVIEW OF VICTIM RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THE STRONG ORIENTATION TOWARD THE CULPABILITY OF THE VICTIM LIES IN THE PREPONDERANCE OF RAPE STUDIES IN THE VICTIMOLOGY LITERATURE. THE POSSIBILITY THAT VICTIMIZATION DATA ON RAPE CANNOT BE GENERALIZED AND THE NEED TO GATHER VICTIMIZATION DATA ON A VARIETY OF CRIMES ARE NOTED. OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS THE TENDENCY OF RESEARCHERS TO NEGLECT THE INNOCENT VICTIM IN THEIR ANALYSES ARE CITED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)